The Mason House Inn is a cool old haunted hotel with tons of ghostly activity. And if you’re just a bit weary of the ghosts keeping you up at night, you can always stay in their caboose lodgings.

There.

See?

Haunted hotels and trains do go together!

Mason House Inn was built in 1846 as a hotel for the steamboat travelers on the Des Moines River. That’s a lot of time for a place to acquire ghosts!

And they have a few. They’re usually pretty active, too.

There’s an old lady by the fireplace in the dining room.

There’s a boy in knickers on the second floor landing who likes to wave to people. Don’t see him? Wave anyway, you’ll make him happy!

A man was murdered in Room 7. He was just a traveler who had visited a local tavern and well, had a bit too much to drink since he tried to climb in a bed that wasn’t his. Surprise surprise. The man already occupying the bed took exception to the intrusion and promptly stuck a saber in the intruder’s heart. The instant making of a ghost!

There’s also a lot of normal ghostly activity like orbs in pictures (don’t forget your camera!), foggy images in mirrors, doors opening and closing by themselves, footsteps when no one is there, all sorts of things ghosts like to do to make their presence known.

And what’s more, you can take a ghost hunting class at the Mason House Inn, too. Yep, a real live ghost hunting class at a real live haunted hotel.

Way cool!

And what’s this about caboose lodgings?

Well, they also have a caboose you can stay the night in. It’s one where you can climb up into the cupola, too. A lot of caboose lodgings don’t have that little extra added bonus. So this one is special, with a little table up in the cupola, too!

Wow! A haunted hotel and a caboose, too. What an adventure!

For more information about a stay at the haunted Mason House Inn & Caboose Cottage or their ghost hunting classes call (319) 592-3133.

The author, Mollie Manuell, enjoys traveling, writing and photography. She especially likes to seek out different and unusual tourist attractions. She maintains a website about weird tourist attractions that reflects this interest.